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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-15-002 - 2015 Artist in Residence Appointment KI Staff Report TCHFNER CA0Office www.kitchenerca REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: March 9, 2015 SUBMITTED BY: Rod Regier, Executive Director, Economic Dev., 519-741-2200 x 7506 PREPARED BY: Silvia DiDonato, Manager, Arts/Culture, 519-741-2200 x 7392 WARD (S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: January 21, 2015 REPORT NO.: CAO-15-002 SUBJECT: 2015 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE APPOINTMENT RECOMMENDATION: That Janice Lee be appointed as the 2015 City of Kitchener Artist in Residence as recommended by the Public Art Working Group and Arts and Culture Advisory Committee; and further, That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute an agreement, satisfactory to the City Solicitor, with Janice Lee outlining the obligations of the Artist in Residence appointment. BACKGROUND: Established in 1995 as the first municipal program of its kind, the City of Kitchener Artist in Residence program aims to engage the community in the production of contemporary art that reflects our shared identity and supports the development of local artists. The program delivers on the understanding that meaningful engagement in the arts and growth of the creative sector contributes positively to the dynamism, authenticity, attractiveness and overall competitiveness of the City of Kitchener. link: 11 earn more about the Ciit of Kiitchener's Artist in Residence The annual program includes community engagement components such as workshops and events, exhibitions in the Rotunda Gallery and Berlin Tower ARTSPACE, collaboration with City events, programs and facilities, the possibility of a commissioned art work; and participation on Public Art Working Group (PAWL), a subcommittee of the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC). The artist in residence is provided with an honorarium for the year. For 2015, submissions were broadened to include artists working in any discipline, a shift developed in close consultation with the Public Art Working Group and the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee. Beyond visual arts, the criteria could include performing arts, provided the proposal delivers a high level of community engagement in the city. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 6 - 1 Activities associated with the artist in residence program occur throughout the city over the course of the year. A wide variety of individuals are engaged during the program—from those encountering artwork and the artist at community events, to those interested in workshops on artistic practice. REPORT: The annual call for proposals was advertised in the summer of 2014. Seven proposals were submitted by the competition close in October 2014. Members of the Public Art Working Group (PAWL) assessed the entries based on: • Potential for meaningful exchange between the artist and community • Artistic excellence • Strength of the submission • Balance of professional practice and community engagement • Feasibility • Promotional strategy PAWG reached consensus at their December 8, 2014 meeting, selecting Janice Lee as the 2015 City of Kitchener Artist in Residence. Janice Lee is a folk artist and storyteller. She is interested in telling the stories of our community as they are happening as a way of capturing our contemporary history. As artistic director of KW Poetry Slam and an outspoken arts advocate, Lee is a respected voice in the city. Lee's residency project, Folk Myths of Kitchener, will involve collaborative community creation of four video poems and poetry posters. The poems will feature the Iron Horse Trail, Kitchener Libraries, the Kitchener Market and Downtown Kitchener. By writing new folk stories that are enchanting and celebratory, Janice hopes to create a mythology and magic surrounding our city. She aims to discover stories and write poems that create a sense of wonder about our city. The video poems will be published on Youtube, shared on social media and released as digital files. The poetry posters will be displayed at city facilities and throughout the community. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: • Quality of Life: The Artist in Residence program nurtures a sense of pride and community by using art and artistic production as means of exploring and celebrating the community's identity. It also contributes to community vitality by offering creative and interesting experiences. • Development: Creative people live in creative communities, and the artist in residence program is a direct reflection of this. From supporting local artists and content creators as an economic sector, to creating a vibrant community, the artist in residence program acknowledges artists as important contributors to the economy and place-making. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 6 - 2 • Dynamic Downtown: While artist in residence activities take place across the city, participating in existing city events and exhibitions in the city hall art galleries contribute to the vitality and liveliness of downtown. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The $8,000 artist honourarium and $2,500 allocation for expenses are supported by Arts/Culture budgets. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Engaging the public: An important component of the Artist in Residence program is the requirement for meaningful public engagement. City staff works with the artist to identify interesting opportunities for public engagement and develop creative programming to suit these opportunities. Janice Lee will engage with the community through the collaborative poetry writing and video producing processes. She will visit various library locations, the Kitchener Market, downtown and the Iron Horse trail to ask passersby questions like, "Why do you come here?", "How would you describe the energy here?", "What are some specific features you have noticed and enjoy?", "Has anything special ever happened here for you?" She will also solicit responses through social media. The collected responses will be incorporated into a short poem. When the poem is written, Lee will revisit the locations and film passersby speaking the poem. Additionally, Lee will commission local graphic artists to illustrate the poems as poetry posters as an alternate interpretation of the poems. All contributors to the project will be recognized in the finished work. In addition, Lee will use her own (and the city's) social networks to further inform, consult and collaborate with the community on her Folk Myths of Kitchener project. Engaging advisory committees: In addition to consulting on the Artist in Residence call for entry, PAWG serves as the selection committee for the position, as a subcommittee of ACAC. A PAWG motion that ACAC support the selection of Janice Lee as the 2015 City of Kitchener Artist in Residence was considered and supported by ACAC on January 20, 2015. This report will be available to the public on the City's internet site as part of the standing committee agenda. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, CAO *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 6 - 3